| Nov. 11, 2009 |
What a crazy fun-filled week! It started off last Wednesday with the start of our conference tournament. All eight teams came out to The Farm for a great weekend of hockey. It started off with our conference banquet, where all the teams came together, got dressed up and enjoyed a wonderful meal. Some of my teammates and I got ready in our new locker room and then road our bikes back to the Arrillaga Family Sports Center. I forgot how hard it was to bike around in a dress and heels...maybe not the most intelligent of ideas :). All in all, the night was wonderful with highlights including Beth Ridley receiving the Julie Nagel Award and Xanthe Travlos earning MVP of the NorPac's Western Division. The Julie Nagel award goes to a sophomore in the conference who exhibits extraordinary care and support of her teammates and has a deep appreciation for life and those around her. I could not think of a better teammate who deserves this award. And Xanny getting MVP... well let's just say she's really, really, really good at field hockey! The tournament provided a really great environment. There were up to four games of hockey being played each day, all through the afternoon and into the night. I know a few high school teams from the area that came to watch and it's always really awesome to see younger girls aspiring to play in college. We defeated Appalachian State 9-0, Longwood 6-1 and Cal 3-0 over a three-day stretch to emerge as conference tournament champions for the third straight year. During the title game against Cal, we realized that would be the last time we would play on our home turf. All the hours we practiced and all the conditioning we went through early in the morning would ultimately be coming to an end that day. It was a great way to end our home season, posting a 9-0 record at home. We then ended up shipping off to Boston for our NCAA Play-In game against Boston University. It was quite a trip, having to wake up at 3 a.m. to catch a 6 a.m. flight out of San Francisco on Monday. Luckily, we got to Boston in the early evening and enjoyed a wonderful meal together downtown. The game was very exciting. Despite trailing 1-0 at the half, we were able to battle back and win 3-2 in overtime. Right now we're riding on a bus to New Jersey for our NCAA first round matchup at No. 4 Princeton. It's great: our bus has wireless access, it's painted completely red and apparently the Boston Red Sox have used it on occasion. We're riding first class on our way to the NCAA Sweet 16!!!! Wish us luck and cheer us on! Here we go CARD! - Nora Soza #5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oct. 21, 2009 The past two weeks have been a lot about practice. The focus every day has been to get better; tightening our game in preparation for the end of the regular-season and all of postseason. It hasn't been easy; there have been a few days where the majority of the team is crawling off the field purely from exhaustion, but it has been totally worth it. We are better because of how we practice. We focus when we are tired and we perform under pressure. Our game against UC Davis was a great opportunity to implement our improved focus on offensive play from the entire field. Offensively we excelled, taking an 11-1 victory. It was really great to see us convert goals not only on short corners, but also during open play and from so many different players. It was also great to play back on our home field. We had been on the road for the previous five games and I was starting to get homesick. Being able to get treatment in your own training room, walk out of your own locker room, and listen to your own warm-up mix is very comforting and encouraging. Another perk of being home was the band coming to play! All in all, it was nice to split up two full weeks of practicing against ourselves with some competition against another team. However, it hasn't been all hard work and no play. Our team recently celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving, one of my favorite team traditions. It all started as the best cure to homesickness for teammate Jen Luther. Our team loves to eat, so what a better way to celebrate than feasting on a turkey and side dishes. Kat Swank, our team chef, whipped up a delectable turkey with gravy. Everyone else contributed lots of side dishes including, but not limited to, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, salads, okra and, of course, sparkling cider. I made two mixed berry pies and a pumpkin pie. Pair that with ice cream provided by Katie Mitchell and you have my favorite dessert: warm berry pie and vanilla-bean ice cream. Jen Luther and Alysha Sekhon gave a little slideshow presentation about the history of Canadian Thanksgiving, and- probably my favorite part of the night- sang the national anthem in French!!!! It has been two full weeks of hard practice and I cannot wait for our game this Friday against Cal. It is our Senior Night, so it's the last time we will play on our home field during the regular season. I have been with these girls all four years and without them I would have never made it. Come celebrate my classmate's achievements and cheer us on to beat Cal. Here we go Card!!!! Beat Cal! - Nora Soza #5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oct. 7, 2009 I'm sitting here on a plane from Philadelphia to Chicago, and I cannot wait to get home. Road trips are amazing, but being away from school and friends makes me eager to get back. We left last Thursday, in the wee hours of the morning, to catch a direct flight to Philly. When we arrived, there was ominous cloud cover and it was definitely chillier in the city then back in California. After we dropped our stuff off in the hotel, we took a stroll through downtown Philadelphia to this cute Italian restaurant and had a delicious dinner. We tried to get to sleep early because the next day it was back to focusing on hockey. La Salle and Temple were good opportunities to refocus on hockey and tighten up our style of play. Temple's warm-up mix featured a song called "Philly Philly", which can only be described as hard-core rap. Ask Jaimee to sing it for you... it's amazing. Walking away with two wins felt great, and it's always fun to see so many people score. A personal favorite was defender Heather Alcorn's goal. It was her first goal and she could barely hold in the excitement! We had a lot of families host us for dinner this trip. The LaSalvia's hosted us at their apartment for desserts after dinner one night. They actually live about three blocks from the hotel, next to this cute park. We got to meet Julia's dog, Phoebe, an adorable fluffy white dog that also attended our Penn State game. It's always a treat to visit the homes of your teammates. We spend so much time together and feel like family, but we rarely get to see where each other come from. Cute/embarrassing young pictures are a delight also! A really special treat was being hosted by Coach Mandy Hart's family. Everyone involved with the Stanford field hockey program (players, coaches, family and even bus drivers) were fortunate enough to have dinner at Mandy's father's house. The house was simply amazing with a rich history, including a 400-year-old tree in the back yard. (Xannie, my mom and I chatted outside for a while on the swing that hung from its branches!) It was really nice to have a home-cooked meal and be able spend time with family and friends. Another fantastic dinner was hosted by alum Lindsay Fisher '00, her husband and two boys. It was really awesome to hear what she had been up to since graduating and also to compare field hockey stories and traditions. They did have one stipulation for hosting us: when we get older and have a family of our own and Stanford is playing nearby, we should host the team for a dinner and repay the favor. I think it will be a great opportunity to keep Stanford field hockey in our lives. I know how much we appreciated the gesture and I can't wait to do that for future Stanford Cards! Another favorite part of this trip was our bus driver, Frank the Tank. He was this amazingly tall, energetic man who greeted us at the airport with a trolley, whisking our bags away and telling us to hop on the bus. Later in the trip he made us a CD featuring two jazzy blues songs, one dedicated to California and one to Philly. It was his way of bringing the whole bus together. It was a really sweet gesture and he was probably the best bus driver ever. We left him a thank you `yo-yo' as a small present for all the fun we had on the trip! Our final game was against Penn State, Coach Hart's alma mater. As we were driving through the Penn State campus, she played the role of tour guide and used the microphone to point out all the interesting landmarks along the tour, including where she lived. The game itself was really intense, and although we came out with a loss, we are using it as an opportunity to grow. That is another challenge that will prepare us for postseason play- the most critical time of season. This road trip has been amazing and I cannot thank everyone who hosted us enough! We have so much support all around the country and we know we are very lucky to be in our position. We play Pacific this coming Sunday, so cheer us on even if you can't make it! Here we go Card!!!! Nora Soza #5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sept. 23, 2009 AHHH WE'RE NUMBER 13!!!!!!! How exciting for the entire team! Our national ranking reflects how much hard work we have put into our practices, day in and day out. It was also this determination that generated wins for our team during our last road trip to the Midwest. Our trip to Chicago and Iowa was a long one. We arrived in Chicago early Thursday evening and drove through the city to get to our hotel. We got to see the remnants of The Oprah show¡¦s season opener littered through the park that had taken place the day before. It must have been quite the spectacle with multiple guests such as The Black Eyed Peas and Jennifer Hudson. We ate dinner at this delicious little restaurant that had all sorts of odds and ends hanging on the walls. It had a very eclectic feel to it. We finally arrived at our hotel and got to jump into our big bed, a huge change from the singles we had been sleeping in at school. I was paired with Jaimee, and our room was appointed as the food room for the trip. That meant all the snacks including apples, bananas, peanut butter, power bars and fruit leathers were kept in our room. Jaimee and I certainly did not complain as the food was so accessible at all times. All of it was gone before we left. Every game during this road trip was a test for us. All three teams we faced were strong opponents that presented different challenges. Northwestern had an extremely fast team, VCU played with so much heart and determination and Iowa was very strong on ball with good movement around the field. We had to grow as a team, facing new adversity and finding ways to overcome it. We focused on our game and reaped the benefits with a sweep. One incident on the field still brings me to chuckles. Jaimee¡¦s shoe came untied in the middle of the game right before a penalty corner. However, she has a broken thumb and was unable to tie her own shoe without her opposable digit. I tried to jump to the rescue, but had to try three times to successfully tie it while the entire game was being held up for us. I might not have been the best option to help her out, but we pulled it together to defeat the untied shoelace. Jaimee later went on to score a fantastic goal that helped lead us to a 3-1 victory over Northwestern. Our hotel in Iowa was located right in the center of campus. On one of the nights, the little courtyard right outside the hotel hosted an amazing live band. It seemed like everyone in town was out to enjoy the festivities, the warm summer night and the delicious goodies and treats available. Later in the week we visited the old capital building to learn about Iowa¡¦s history¡K something I¡¦m sure only happens on the Stanford field hockey team fº We¡¦re playing Pacific and Cal this weekend. They will both be very good teams and I¡¦m sure they will be fun to watch! Off to practice now to keep the up the hard work and intensity. Here we go Card! Nora Soza #5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sept. 9, 2009 What a great Labor Day weekend! For the first time in Stanford field hockey history, we had our first game under the lights! It was a great experience, and see what everyone had to say by clicking here! Back during the spring of my sophomore year, I was on the field for my weekly individual workout and I was able to watch as one of the huge pillars was pulled into its upright position, realizing that those are our lights. A year and a half later, I finally got to play under them. The Wednesday before our game, we had a late practice to get acclimated to the different lighting. The day had been really hot and somewhat humid, so it was perfect that we got to play once the sun set. Being in the cool night, on the wet turf and under the moon for the first time on our home field was inspiring. The game against Northeastern was very intense and exciting. A 1-0 lead does not leave much room for error. Jaimee Erickson was fantastic putting away the only goal of the game, but it was our team defense, from the forwards to our backline, that kept us in the game for the win. Our next night game on Sept. 25 against Pacific will be played at 7 p.m. instead of the 6 p.m. start against Northeastern, so that should help as we won't be staring into the sun for an entire half. Sunday's game against Kent State gave us another opportunity to work on playing our game. It was amazing to see so many different players score in multiple ways, from cleaning up after corner shots to live-play goals. It was nice to open the floodgates and experience a strong offensive performance in the beginning of season. Postgame time with family and friends may possibly be one of my favorites. We had lots of family members visiting The Farm due to the long weekend, and they did not hold back on feeding us. The two tailgates were ones to be remembered with everything from homemade sushi to Calabacitas, a traditional Mexican squash dish. A personal favorite was my mother's white chili. All in all, we still cannot thank our parents enough for supporting and feeding us. We appreciate it so much! I'm writing this on the bus ride from the Chicago airport to our hotel as we prepare to play Northwestern. It's quite humid compared to California, and I'm not sure how well I'm going to deal with that. Wish us luck on our first road trip of the season! Go Card! - Nora Soza #5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aug. 30, 2009 Welcome back to The Farm! We just finished up preseason, and what a preseason it was. Showing up two weeks ago was an exciting event. We moved into our new dorms, went through physicals, and completed all our compliance meetings. Once all the official business was taken care of, we got to the heart of the matter: fitness testing. Thankfully, we all survived and bonded closer together as a team because of it. Our first true practice was buzzing with energy and excitement; everyone was ready to prove that this was our year. Seeing how much people have grown and improved, as well as watching our new froshies start their college careers are some of my favorite moments of the season. We worked our way through the double-days of preseason, and no matter how hot or tired we were, we focused on improving our individual skills as well dynamic movement of the ball. In our off time, we hung out in the dorm playing ping pong, watching Disney movies and eating a plethora of snacks and goodies. I can't say that I have a bad life at all: all I do is eat, sleep and play field hockey with 23 of the greatest girls around. We had three scrimmages this preseason to work out some of the kinks, clear the cobwebs, as well as prepare us for our regular season games. We came out hard and had goals to focus on each game. We won all three of our games and felt great walking off the field each time. Each practice we had after that was leading up to the end of preseason and finally to our first game. As we walked on the field from our brand new locker room to play Missouri State, I looked around and thought, `This is a great day for a field hockey game'. The heat wave that had plagued us for the previous three days had finally broken, leaving a cool, refreshing day to play in. As we lined up to sing the national anthem, Rachel Mozenter turned to me and said, "This is our last first game ever". Wow, what a statement. Every year I am amazed at how fast season goes by, and to realize that this was it made me pause. We took the field ready to play and came out with a 3-1 victory. While we weren't fully satisfied with our play, it was great to walk off the field with a win. We have lots to work on before our next game, and cannot wait to face Northeastern and Kent State on our home turf. Come out, support, and cheer on the Card! Thanks again to all the parents, fans, and friends that came out to the game, cheered us on and put together a tailgate to feed us. We all appreciate it and cannot say thank you enough! Till next time- Nora Soza #5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nov. 9, 2008 We arrived in Farmville, Va., late on Tuesday night after a full day of travel. The Hampton Inn staff welcomed us with warmth and hospitality, and it was nice to finally be settled. For the weekend, the hotel would become the headquarters for Stanford, Pacific, Appalachian State and Radford. It had prime real estate for the tournament, located only a two-minute car ride from the hotel to the field. We had to reserve time slots for each team in the morning so everyone would not show up for the continental breakfast at the same time. It was definitely an experience none of us will forget. On Wednesday evening, we donned our best attire for a "Farm-Vegas" outing and headed to our conference banquet. Longwood, the host school, put on an excellent dinner for all the teams and their parents. First and Second All-Conference Teams were announced, recognizing players for their outstanding efforts during the regular season. Many of our girls were recognized: Camille, Xanthe, Stephanie, Bailey, Midori, and Ale. Special awards received by our team included Steph receiving Rookie of the Year and Camille being named the Most Valuable Player. It was a wonderful night, kicking off the start of an amazing weekend. Our first two games against Davidson and Pacific were hard-fought. Both teams showed up to play and we had to respond with more passion and determination in order to pull out wins. By Friday night, we had advanced to the championship game against California. Saturday rolled around and pregame nerves started to hit. It was bound to be an intense match due to how both of our seasons depended upon the outcome: the winner would move on to the NCAA Play-In game at Princeton while the losing team's season would be over. Neither team wanted to get back on the plane and fly back to California. The game was everything a spectator could want. It was excellent hockey, with three penalty strokes, double-overtime, green cards, yellow cards and unfortunately a season-ending injury. I have never been more physically or emotionally tired after a game as I was this one, but it was totally worth it. It was a fast-paced game and Cal had many offensive opportunities, but our defense was disciplined and held them from scoring. We scored the game-winning goal in the second overtime, winning our second consecutive conference championship and earning our spot in the Play-In game. The atmosphere was one I will never forget. We overcame a rough start to the season and pulled it out when it counted. I am so proud of our team for this game. We never relented and we succeeded. Hillary, Xanthe, Ale and I were honored by making the All-Tournament Team and I was selected as MVP of the tournament. It was definitely a sight to be seen. As the All-Tournament Team was being announced, the sky and clouds turned pink and purple, the leaves surrounding the field were changing colors with the coming fall and the weather was absolutely perfect. It could not have been a better day! The parents of this road trip deserve the biggest shout-out of the season yet. They are true Cardinal hockey fans! They yelled, cheered and one even got a tattoo of the block S on their body while in Farmville. They even created headbands that had the tree in front of the Stanford S, showing their support in the most fashionable way. They bleed Cardinal. Many yelled for so long and so loud that their voices became hoarse after the final game. They are amazing and we don't know what we would do with out them. Thank you SOOOO much!!!!! So as of right now, we are traveling via bus on our way from Virginia to New Jersey. We will take on Princeton on Tuesday. It's going to be a great game, so come out and support!!!!! GO CARD! - Nora ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oct. 27, 2008 Hey everyone! So this weekend was full of West Coast rivalries. It started off Friday morning against California. We drove across the Bay listening to a newly-made mixed CD, courtesy of Hillary Braun, as we prepared to play our rivals. It was a very intense game. There were multiple green cards and warnings given to both sides and an unlucky yellow card given to our center defender Heather Alcorn. Unfortunately, this extremely physical game didn't go our way, but we have an opportunity to face them again this coming Saturday. On Saturday, we had a short practice to keep ourselves loose for our game against Pacific. We warmed up with the amazing game of field hockey volleyball. Basically, volleyball and field hockey are mixed together to make the most ultimate, supreme physical sport known to man. It requires cunning skill, extreme competitiveness and most of all a desire to win. Teams succeeded and others failed, but all in all it was a great tournament. We left for Stockton early the next morning to play Pacific. We had planned for a long day there, bringing books and binders for class, but nobody imagined the longest day ever. We had a short walk through in the morning to become reacquainted with Pacific's grass surface and its unpredictability. Then we had a delicious lunch and visited the local 99 Cent Store. Everything, I mean everything, was 99 cents or cheaper. There were some clutch purchases including a huge fro, lots of candy and multiple significant hair items. Then we were off to play the game. One hundred minutes, two overtimes and nine strokes later we walked off the field as winners with a 2-1 penalty stroke victory. The tailgate after the game was delicious as always, featuring Halloween-themed candy. Pretzels and popcorn balls came on the bus with us as we traveled back to Stanford. It was dark as we pulled in to the parking lot, ending our 11-hour trip. It was nice to be back. It's time again to start preparing for our conference game against California. We are playing them for the second time, so this one will count in the conference standings. I personally cannot wait to meet them on the field again. Come support us this Saturday, Nov. 1, at 1 p.m. Bring your football tailgate over to the turf and cheer for our seniors and their last home game!!!!! Go Card! - Nora ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oct. 20, 2008 Hey everyone! Well the past two weeks have been full of practice, games and midterms, so all of us on the team have been pretty swamped with work. We've had a few games back here at Stanford and we're happy to be home. Fall quarter is about halfway done, meaning it is midterm time!!!! Everyone has been running around going to review sessions or late-night study groups with friends. My roommate Bess and I have been doing cram sessions for our computer science class and have both learned how to write code, computer code that is. However, we do have time for study breaks and with our new DVD player we watched Sleeping Beauty as a suite and invited some of our teammates over. It was an epic event with soccer, lacrosse and field hockey represented, bonding over the classic tale of love conquering evil. Our first home game back was against Davidson on a hot Tuesday afternoon. We had been practicing in the cold early mornings the previous week and were slightly shocked to face the bright afternoon sun during our game. During the second half, we clicked. The 3-0 victory was very satisfying. Our forwards recorded a lot of shots on goals and saw the reward. Our defensive unit also walked off the field proudly with a shutout. It was nice to be back. Being a native of California, I love seeing field hockey expand on the West Coast. Field hockey is predominantly an East Coast sport, but over my career I have witnessed it spread and grow throughout California. There are more club teams, more girls wanting to play in high school and there are even grade school teams being started. However, for a very long time there have only been three West Coast D1 universities: Stanford, California and Pacific. But I am very happy and excited to welcome a new program, UC Davis!!! UC Davis will be joining the NorPac conference next year, but we welcomed them to the conference with a scrimmage last Sunday. It was a great opportunity for our team to settle in and practice our passing patterns. Senior Chloe Bade, my very own roommate, scored a hat trick along with sophomore Camille Gandhi. I was very excited to see Chloe's trademark BTG shots get some action during the game (that's slang for Butt to Goal). All in all it was a very fun game to play and cannot wait to see them again next year!!! This week we've been preparing for our big games against CAL and UOP... Come out and support the Card!!! -Nora ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sept. 29, 2008 Hey there! The first week of school has come and gone on The Farm. It's been draining to say the least; scheduling classes around practice, discovering exactly where these classes are and finding out which of your friends are enrolled in the same classes all lead to a hectic week. However, I am glad to say the team made it through; even our young freshmen survived their first week of college. We flew home on Sunday to be welcomed back to campus by our new roommates! For the freshmen, this was their first time meeting the people they were going to be living with for the next year. I'm sure they made great impressions walking in at 11 p.m. with luggage that included the great smell of shin guards and shoes. For the upperclassmen, many of us came home to great friends from previous years. All in all, it was wonderful to be back in California. Monday was a day off...from field hockey. However, it was also the first day of classes! To kick off the day, our team all had breakfast together. Then we went on our merry ways. My day began at 9 a.m., joining six of my teammates in Statistics. All seven of us sat together in one row; no one can separate us. Before practice on Tuesday, everyone wanted to hear about everyone else's classes or roommates. Other team highlights included supporting our women's soccer team and afterwards enjoying delicious Fraische. During practice this week, there was a huge emphasis on communication and shooting. We worked hour after hour, drill after drill, on effective communication. This includes setting each other up on the field, telling teammates of available options and giving constant vocal support even when tired. It definitely centered us back around our style of play. Shooting was also another focus for our team and there were many drills for our defense to test our forwards under pressure. I think our practice definitely paid off. Saturday rolled around and it was time to put all of our hard hours of practice into play. Our two main focuses for the game were the same as practice: communication and shooting. During the game, there was strong vocal support throughout all of our lines. As for shooting, the score speaks for itself. Midori Uehara scored a hat trick plus one! Other shooting shoutouts go to Camille Ghandi, Katherine Donner and Rachel Mozenter. Yay for the 7-0 victory! Again, I just wanted to say thanks to all our supporters! I know a bunch of teams and friends made it out to the game and of course to all our parents, thank you! The tailgate this week was delicious as always- Chinese chicken salad, my mom's home grown tomatoes, apples with cinnamon sugar... delicious! Thanks again everyone! Well, it's about that time to get prepared for our upcoming road trip! We practice all week and leave on Friday. Here we come Boston! - Nora ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sept. 23, 2008 Hey everyone! The 2008 season has been an interesting one so far, as trips to Michigan and North Carolina kicked off our season. While not all the games have fallen our way, as a team we try to grow and learn from each win or loss. As a little background, field hockey is not lacrosse. In all actuality, I would say it is more comparable to soccer, but with sticks and a small, very hard, white plastic dimpled ball. At the highest levels, field hockey is played on artificial turf due to its smooth surface with no divots or mud clumps for the ball to jump on. And yes, we do water the turf before we play and no, we are not insane. Watering the turf actually creates an even and smooth playing surface resulting in fluid passing patterns. A key rule for spectators to know: the ball can only be shot inside the circle in order for a goal to count. Back to our most recent road trips. Traveling as a team on a large bus is both a blessing and a challenge. Being all together on a bus creates a necessity for interesting activities to keep us entertained. A favorite is a newly-founded tradition of team karaoke. Our karaoke is not the simple sing-along many of you are familiar with. Stanford field hockey karaoke consists of an individual standing in the front aisle of a moving bus, iPod in hand, earplugs snugly in both ears to ensure that the singer can only hear their song selection, and the team can hear every note the singer's lovely voice sings. Of course, lyrical dancing is greatly appreciated. Picture now, freshman Devon Holman, singing a capella to The Lion King's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", reaching out to her lion love, only to have the entire team join in moments later creating a momentous chorus. Other memorable Michigan karaoke shout-outs include Heather Alcorn singing her own rendition of a Sir Mix-A-Lot hit and Leigh Kaulbach singing the Beatles' "Birthday" only to realize that the majority of the song is not lyrics but rather skillful guitar strumming... "You say it's your birthday! Dun na na na na na na nuh. It's my birthday too - yeah Duh na na na na na na nuh! On another more stressful note, during our most recent road trip to North Carolina, we ran into a little trouble. After our pre-game meal, Chuck, our bus driver, regretfully informed us that our bus was not starting. Uh oh! Here we were, stuck at Panera Bread Company, a jug of sweet tea in one hand and a grocery size bag of bagels and schmear in the other. We were too far from the hotel to walk back and had to play a game in four hours. Fortunately, our amazing team parents came, minivans and all, to rescue us. That was one of my stranger experiences wondering if a regular-sized car could jumpstart a bus. I cannot explain how wonderful our team parents are. I mean they are simply amazing. They are our constant cheerleaders at our games, always yelling louder than our opponent's supporters. They give some of the best hugs after games passing on their never-ending support and love for our team. And the food! No one can rival Stanford parents' tailgates. It is always a buffet fit for kings and queens, with everything from BBQ pulled pork and delicious spicy chili, to my very own mother's homemade beans and tortillas, and tomatoes with mozzarella and basil. And the desserts they make are simply mouth-watering: lemon squares, pumpkin cookies, oatmeal butterscotch cookies, chocolate fudge bites and my personal favorite tree-shaped lime flavored jello. Our team can never say thank you enough to our wonderful parents! Thanks again!!!! Alrighty! Off to a week of practice to get ready to face off against Pacific. Thanks for everyone's support! - Nora |